The artist was interested in the story of Orpheus from the early 1860s, when he made a design, possibly for a tile, of Orpheus and Eurydice ( Tate Britain). Morris retold the story as part of The Earthly Paradise project, but it was put aside although Burne-Jones had executed a number of preliminary drawings. The present drawing appears to be a preparatory illustration for an illuminated manuscript, again this was rejected and the designs were adapted for the decoration of the Graham piano.